Two arrested in protests at Meadows
POLICE made two arrests after campaigners protesting against the clearance of Cardiff’s Northern Meadows to make way for a new Velindre Cancer centre occupied land next to the site.
Community members from Coryton and Whitchurch, who are part of campaign group Save the Northern Meadows, occupied land known as Lady Cory Field next to the Meadows yesterday.
They erected notices outside the boundaries of their occupation, which stated: “This is non-residential land” and asserted that it is a criminal offence to enter the land without their permission – and that in order to remove them from the land a claim for possession will need to be made via the High Court.
They also staged a peaceful protest next to City Hospice in Whitchurch, blocking an entrance to the Meadows, with one protester chaining herself with a bicycle lock around her neck to the entrance gate.
In both locations, from as early as 5am demonstrators were in place trying to stop construction workers from entering to start enabling works which involve the clearance of 25,000m2 of green space.
There was a large police presence at both sites. After a stand-off lasting several hours, officers removed campaigners to allow contractors to begin work clearing vegetation, and confirmed they arrested two people on suspicion of “aggravated trespass”.
It was the second day of demonstrations, with an estimated 20 protesters voicing their opposition to the plans on Monday.
Protesting at the entrance next to City Hospice, Cat Lewis, a Velindre cancer patient who is bringing the judicial review against the Senedd regarding the development, said yesterday: “A couple of us sat in front of the gate to try and slow things down. They haven’t had the environmental assessment reports – that hasn’t been released on the planning that they’ve got, so we believe that should happen before this happens.
“We’re also asking that they don’t do any works until the judicial review has happened on the November 17.
“So, we were trying to stop them, slow them down. We have a solicitor writing a letter to ask them to stop any work currently today [Tuesday]. So a few of us sat in front of the gate there and the security came and they were around us for a bit. Then the police came, and then heavier police came and one of them came in and started to move us, because I’d covered the gap to stop them getting through the gap in the fence. The policeman started to drag me with my left arm.”
Alli Marshall, one of the protesters occupying Lady Cory Field, said: “We’re trying to protect the environment. It could all have been stopped if they’d come over and engaged with us, but they didn’t. They just came through now with a strimmer, which is not supposed to have started because they don’t have the planning permission.”
Demonstrators claim they were given less than three days’ notice about plans to start clearing work in Northern Meadows.
Building work on the hospital itself is scheduled to begin in March 2023, with it due to open in summer 2025.
A spokesperson for South Wales Police said: “UK policing recognises and upholds the right to democratic protest and facilitate peaceful protest while minimising disruption to the wider public.
“Officers have been in attendance at the protest at Northern Meadows, Whitchurch, and a 36-year-old woman from the St Mellons area and a 69-year-old woman from the Heath area have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.
“The protest was, in the main, peaceful and the protesters eventually dispersed without any further incident.”